ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cell — in biology
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. capital — money
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. craft — boats
  8. degree — an amount
  9. capital — a city
  10. craft — a skill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. degree — from a university
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cell — a phone
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. vault — a safe
  18. tube — a container
  19. perch — the fish
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com